About The Author

Publisher of World Soccer Talk, Christopher Harris founded the site in 2005. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Guardian and several other publications. Plus he has made appearances on NPR, BBC World, CBC, BBC Five Live, talkSPORT and beIN SPORT.
Harris, who was born and raised in Wales, has lived in Florida since 1984, and supported Swansea City since 1979. Last but not least, he got engaged during half-time of a MLS game.

Nice interview with a wealth of information and measured opinion. This is the kind of thing we fans crave during the offseason…something meaty. I don't want anymore articles about who to watch at the combine. Give me some real info! You did. Thanks.

Great interviews, finally someone with some sense of the real state of MLS. Everyone keeps dogging for the Beckham signing, but the haters fail to realize that he helped orchestrate the best offense in the regular season, the defense and the goalie were terrible. I'll say it again, we need two dp's with little or no effect on the cap and the cap to be at least 4 million. That is the only way to compete for good players and to keep the good American players here, it would also raise the minimum wages for some players. There has to be a way we can work with USL to officially become the second division. It would require a lot of money invested but in the long run it would help and solidify soccer in this country for both leagues.

Phil the most..er anything in football (yes Americans it IS the real football) is simply mind boggling to me I wish he would have his mike completely shut off or better still taken away from him. He sucks major donkey nuts and is clueless on the game. Constantly getting calls wrong, does not really know how to spot an offside, calls football soccer, does not know the players he is commentating on unless it is a major club, keeps annoyingly saying ‘deflected’, honestly I could go on and on. Who can I get hold of to get this clown off the air?

Ken, plainly you don’t get it: In the U.S. “Football” is American (gridiron) football, while what everyone else calls football is called “soccer” in the U.S. Even the governing body is the United States Soccer Federation or USA Soccer, not the United States Football Association. As I understand, Phil is talking to a primarily U.S. (and Canadian?) audience, not a British one. And yes, a ball which hits off a player and goes in a different direction is “deflected”; what would YOU call it? (Sound of crickets chirping…)

Ken, the crickets are actually chirping loudly in applause for your 100% accurate assessment of Phil! I am surprised that he even has a job announcing for real football games. It would be one thing if it was the MLS, his style is almost even fitting for that, but I can hardly stand his NBA style commentary (your reference to ‘deflected’ is a perfect example of this). I am glad I am not the only one who just doesn’t get him.

The most ironic thing is that they often pair him (the worst football announcer I have ever heard) with Ray Hudson (the absolute best football announcer). The contrast is hilarious! My favorite part is when Phil asks Ray a question, and Ray just completely ignores it due to it’s complete idiocyirrelevance.